Big Bears Do Cry
by TaggertShare
Summary: Separately a Care Cousin and Care Bear have their feelings hurt.Brought together by fate they find themselves drawn together.They discover that love is a  great way to mend broken hearts. Brave Heart finds it is time for this Lion to roar!


Brave Heart Lion should have been living the good life. He was strong and handsome. He was the leader of The Care Cousins, head of the Forest of Feelings. His second in command was the highly intelligent Bright Heart Raccoon. With such a competent right hand cousin his job was made easier. Secretly many cousins considered Bright Heart their real leader.

The Care Cousins began to make jokes among themselves about their great leader. Brave Heart sometimes caught snippets of conversations and jokes that began to make him feel uncomfortable.  
>He had felt proud of his accomplishments. It hurt his feelings to think some of the Cousins might consider him incompetent. He did not have a mate or significant other at home to share his feelings with.<br>There was no one there to console him after a bad day.

Me Bear's arrival in Carealot along with Too Loud and Messy Bear had caused all sorts of problems. Their misuse of Wish Bear and her pet Wishing Star Winkers had led to bad consequences and bad feelings. After the dust had settled the three bears shared a modest hut on the out skirts of Carealot. The three bears didn t get along very well but at least they had a roof over their heads.

Eventually Messy Bear became ambassador to The Forest of Feelings. There he had met Treat Heart Pig. They were now mates.  
>This left Too Loud and Me to share a house. They did not get along well. Living in the same house with Too Loud was a real headache.<br>Me Bear wished desperately to have a place of her own.

Too make matters worse for the pretty Me Bear was the attitudes of Carealot s other bears. They considered her a self centered snob.  
>Her constant preening of herself as she held her mirror while praising her own good looks became a real turn off. Bachelor boy bears should have been attracted to the unmated girl. She couldn t understand why she was getting so few dates. Girl bears seemed to keep her off their social calendars.<p>

Brave Heart was needed in Carealot for official business. As he made his way to The Hall Of Hearts he overheard Funshine and Grumpy talking.  
>He was sure he heard Grumpy say "t here goes the supposed leader of The Forest of Feelings" . As the Care Council Meeting at the Hall ended Brave Heart walked up to True Heart. He really wanted to know what others thought of him as a leader.<p>

"True Heart, it is said you cannot tell a lie. How do you consider me as a leader?" True Heart didn t flinch as she said I would give you a grade of D+. You are not terrible at your job, but you re not good at it either. Th- thanks for your opinion a hurt Brave Heart stammered. He made a quick exit from the Hall and headed blindly toward Funshine Meadow. He didn t want any bear to see him with tears in his eyes. Big bears don t cry, and certainly not grown lions.

Me Bear had gone for a walk and then went to the Care Cafe for a quick snack. She over heard Harmony talking about a dinner party she was planning. Harmony commented to Share that she would rather invite a slob like Treat Heart than a snob like Me Bear. When Harmony noticed Me Bear looking at her she thumbed her nose at Me Bear. Me Bear quickly left the Cafe . How could Harmony treat her like that? What had she done to deserve such a cold shoulder?

Me headed for Funshine Meadow hoping to find a quiet spot to hide from the rest of the Care Bear world. Big girls don t cry. She was on the verge of crying. Did the other bears really despise her? It seemed as if she no longer had a friend in Carealot. She could no longer hold back the tears. She stumbled blindly until her ears caught a sound tha t brought her back to reality. She was sure she could hear someone else crying.

Brave Heart was sitting on a rock with head in paws. He looked up in surprise as Me Bear stood looking down at him. He was horrified to think she had caught him crying. Before he could react she put her left paw on his right shoulder and sat beside him. "I guess I m not the only one feeling bad today ."

As the surprised lion looked at her he saw the streaks her tears had left on her cheeks. "Wha- what s wrong he stammered ." Me tried hard not to sniffle as she told of what Harmony had done. Then came more tears as she said it seemed as if all the bears didn t like her.  
>Brave Heart put his paws on her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.<p>

Brave Heart felt touched by her tears and her story. His heart had been aching because of what had been said of him and to him. Now his heart ached for her also. He looked her in the eyes and said "They re just jealous, the girls that is. They know you are prettier than they are.  
>As for the boys, they must be blind or stupid if they can t like a pretty girl like you."<p>

Me began to feel much better." So why are you upset?" Brave Heart poured out his soul. He told her of the jokes and comments he had overheard about his leadership. He nearly broke down when he repeated what True Heart had said. He had wanted the truth. Some times the truth hurts. As he finished his story he took her paws in his and said "please don t tell about me crying. I m already the butt of enough jokes".

Me Bear smiled and sat closer to him. "I found it very touching to see you cry." She leaned over and gave Brave Heart a quick kiss on his right cheek. Impulsively he put his arms around her, without another word they began to rub noses. As the heart broken duo held each other tight it seemed as if the whole Care Bear World had suddenly vanished. They were unaware of their surroundings. Two broken hearts began to mend as they began to kiss with evermore increasing passion.

It was another hour before they emerged from the meadow paw in paw.  
>Their fur was ruffled. Me Bear took her mirror out of her purse.<br>She giggled at her reflection. "Wow, my fur is even more messed up than yours. Brave Heart was combing his fur. He laughed as he handed her his comb." Use this," he said. "You know what? You're pretty whether your fur is ruffled or combed." Me Bear giggled again.  
>She was enjoying the flattery. She was really enjoying her time with the handsome boy lion. "When do you have to return home?" Me Bear didn t want to see Brave Heart go.<p>

Brave Heart sighed. He didn t want to say good bye to Me. "I m leaving tomorrow. Have you ever thought of visiting the Forest of Feelings? My neighbors have a guest hut you could borrow. I d love to show you my home." Me Bear's eyes lit up. "I ll pack my bags tonight!" "Then it's a dea"l Brave Heart said with delight. They sealed the deal with a kiss.

It had been a busy morning for Me Bear. She had packed what she needed for a trip to The Forest of Feelings. She had said good bye to Too Loud. As she headed for her roundevous with Brave Heart she spotted Harmony. She ran up to Harmony and yelled "thanks for hurting my feelings. You helped me find my true love!" Harmony was left scratching her head as Me Bear ran off. What had that been about?

Brave Heart was ready for the trip home. He anxiously awaited for Me Bear to show up. True Heart happened to be passing by. Brave Heart waved and hollered to her "thanks for the hurtful revue, It really made my day!" True Heart was left to ponder his words as she scurried off.

Me Bear found Brave Heart waiting by his cloud car. They didn t care that there were several bears in the vicinity. They embraced in a passionate hug and then jumped into the car. Off they sped in a cloud of dust. As Me Bear looked back she secretly hoped her vacation would be a permanent one. So did the car's driver.

Treat Heart and Messy Bear were delighted to rent their guest cottage to Me Bear. Brave Heart helped her to unpack. "I m surprised at how clean and neat this place is he said to Me Bear. Their house really is a pig sty." " I m anxious to see your place Brave Heart" Me Bear said. "Be at my house at 6:00 PM for dinner" Brave Heart told her. He gave her a quick wave good-bye then hurried home. He had dinner to prepare and some preening to do. He wanted to look his best when Me Bear was inside his home.

The bachelor lion was not used to preparing a romantic meal. He hoped his effort would be rewarded. Me Bear was delighted. Brave Heart's ornate home made for a nice romantic setting. After a nice feast she and Brave Heart snuggled near the fireplace. Just a few short days ago they had been broken hearted near strangers. Now as they cuddled and kissed they planned for a new future. They had agreed to start dating steadily.

Brave heart jumped out of bed. He had big plans for the day. He would not be laughed at any more. Me Bear had brought new meaning to his life.  
>It was time to start a new way of life. It was time to be a true leader again. It's hard to impress a girl by being a wimp.<br>The time had come for this lion to roar.

Brave Heart walked paw in paw with Me Bear to the Care Cousins Council Chamber. There was an air of confidence and purpose in his demeanor. Bright Heart was sitting with his feet propped up on his desk. He was day dreaming. "This is a council hall, not a living room!" Brave Heart nearly roared as he said it. Bright Heart jumped to his feet." Yes, uh sir, uh boss." Bright Heart sat back down and started typing furiously. As Brave Heart exited with Me Bear there was a new spring in his step.

"Oh how I love a boy who has power and prestige. I love how you shook up Bright Heart." Me Bear's presence had inspired Brave Heart's desire to reestablish a high standing in the Care Cousin Councel. He had a girl to impress now, he now had reason to live life to the fullest. He stopped and turned towards Me Bear. He knelt and looked up at her. He handed her a ring.

"I know this is a bit sudden, Me Bear will you be my mate?" "Oh Yes!" Her loud happy reply echoed through The Forest of Feelings.  
>Brave Heart felt like the proverbial King of the Jungle. Every King needs his Queen, and his Queen to be was the most beautiful of them all.<p>

Messy Bear and Treat Heart were helping Me Bear to move her stuff out of the guest hut. "Congrats on a great Mating Ritual Celebration" Messy said to Me. "Yeah, great cereromony and great food" Treat Heart said. Me Bear smiled and said "I got the best treat of all. I got a mate to love and to hold." Brave Heart had walked in just as she said it. "I got the girl of my dreams." He was grinning from ear to ear as he said it.

It had been a busy day. Me Bear s possesions were now in their new home. Brave Heart and Me Bear sat in Brave Heart s former living room. Now it was their living room. The newly mated pair looked and sounded like teen cubs as they hugged and rubbed noses. Two hearts beat as one as they pressed against each other. Life's joys seemed limitless as they held each other tight.

The Leader of The Forest of Feelings headed home after a tough day of work. Swift Heart was hopping by. He stopped and praised Brave Heart for doing a much better job as the Forest s leader. Brave Heart smiled and said "you can thank my right paw girl for that." He now had someone to turn to after a bad day. Good times and bad times would come along. He would no longer experience them alone.

Brave Heart had a bouquet of flowers as he walked through the door. "This is for the girl who made my dreams come true. You are the meaning in my life, my friend, my lover, my confident. This is for you." He handed the bouquet to Me Bear.

Me Bear giggled with delight as she took the bouquet. She smelled the flowers and removed an envelope stuffed among them. There was a colorful card inside which read "I love you so much I can hardly 'bear' it." Me Bear was delighted. She gave Brave Heart a hug and a kiss. She grabbed a pen and piece of paper. She quickly wrote something down and handed it to him. It simply said "I love you more than anything I have ever loved, and I ain't 'Lion'."


End file.
